<figure id="attachment_393063" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-393063" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b7e9e600"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/09/ece4cabad81b12bb4e02a44b275c049a.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-393063" class="wp-caption-text">(From left) Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister Kishida, and new LDP President Shigeru Ishiba join hands at the general meeting of both houses of the Diet held after the LDP presidential election.</figcaption></figure>
<p> The LDP presidential election was held on September 27, and Shigeru Ishiba was chosen as the new LDP president.</p>
<p> The first round of voting was inconclusive in the crowded field of nine candidates, and the election went to a runoff with Sanae Takaichi. Ishiba received 215 votes to Takaichi&#8217;s 194.</p>
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<p> It is unusual for a presidential election to have gone this far. At first, Shinjiro Koizumi was in the lead, selling his youthfulness, but his lead dropped sharply as the debates went on. Takaichi took his place, and by the final stage of the polls, he had overtaken Shinjiro, creating a &#8220;Ishiba vs.</p>
<h2> Considering the general election, people shunned Mr. Takaichi.</h2>
<p> In the first round of voting, Mr. Takaichi received 109 party member votes and 72 councilor votes. Mr. Ishiba received 108 party member votes and 46 councilor votes.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> I didn&#8217;t expect Mr. Takaichi&#8217;s momentum to be so strong. &#8230;&#8230;</span></p>
<p> It seemed as if she was going to become the first female prime minister in history.</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> In the end, the &#8220;sensible&#8221; members of the LDP made a pragmatic decision. It was obvious that if Takaichi became the new prime minister, he would have a tough time in the next election.</span></p>
<p> Of the 20 nominees for Mr. Takaichi, 13 are &#8220;money-backed&#8221; councilors, which is more than any other candidate. This number stood out from the rest of the candidates, and he had clearly stated &#8220;no&#8221; to the re-investigation of the slush fund issue.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Behind the Scenes, a Fierce Battle for Kingmaker"></div>
<p><span class="strongInContent">Mr. Takaichi was supported by the former Abe faction, the &#8220;headquarters&#8221; of the so-called &#8220;slush fund&#8221; problem, and it was clear that if Mr. Takaichi became prime minister, he would be fiercely pursued by the opposition. It was obvious that if Mr. Takaichi were to become prime minister, he would be fiercely pursued by the opposition parties, and I think there were many members who voted for Mr. Takaichi in the first round of voting and for Mr. Ishiba in the second round,&#8221; said a reporter in charge of politics for a national newspaper.</span></p>
<p> The underlying theme of the presidential election was also a &#8220;battle to determine the political kingmaker.</p>
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<p> Suga Yoshihide favored Shinjiro, while Aso is said to have given up on Taro Kono, who is from his own faction, in favor of Takaichi. On the day of the presidential election, the Sankei Shimbun reported that Aso was the first to vote for Takaichi.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> &#8220;Vote for Takaichi.</span></p>
<p> Aso instructed his supporters to &#8220;vote for Takaichi&#8221; from the first round of voting.</p>
<h2> Fear Awaits Council Members with Backers</h2>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> The Sankei Shimbun also reported that Mr. Aso had instructed Mr. Kan to vote for Mr. Takaichi from the first round of voting, saying, &#8220;The result is not bad because Kan has a friendly relationship with Ishiba. Shinjiro will probably be appointed to an important post under the Ishiba administration. In contrast, Mr. Aso&#8217;s decision to abandon his &#8220;henchman&#8221; Mr. Kono in favor of Mr. Takaichi is not good. A loss of centripetal force is inevitable,&#8221; said a source in Nagata-cho.</span></p>
<p> If you win, you are the government; if you lose, you are the rebels. The market is always fixed.</p>
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<p> In the Ishiba administration, it is certain that councilors whose names were mentioned in connection with the slush fund issue and the former Unification Church issue will be given a &#8220;cold shoulder&#8221; across the board. In the debate before the presidential election, Ishiba was not very clear about the slush fund issue.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> &#8220;It&#8217;s natural because it&#8217;s before the election. If he flirts with disciplinary action, he will lose votes,&#8221; said a source in Nagatacho.</span></p>
<p> However, once he becomes president, both in name and in reality, there is no need to be concerned.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Mr. Ishiba has clearly stated to those around him that he will &#8220;first drain out the pus. It is also conceivable that he will not officially recognize some of the money-backed Diet members in the next Lower House election. He also needs to summarize the &#8220;Abe politics&#8221; of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was in office for 3,188 days, the longest tenure of any prime minister in history. It seems that the LDP believes that this is inevitable if the LDP is to be reborn.</span></p>
<p> There are also reports that some lawmakers who oppose this move are planning to break ranks within the LDP. Either way, &#8220;Ishiba&#8217;s administration will be at risk.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> &#8220;Mr. Ishiba&#8217;s administration is fraught with risk, and if anything, it could lead to a major political realignment, including that of the opposition parties,&#8221; says a political reporter.</span></p>
<p> This is a sense of caution. Is Mr. Takaichi&#8217;s sharp, gnashing gaze, which seemed to be snarling at him after his defeat in the decisive vote, a sign of further upheaval? &#8230;&#8230;</p>


 Kyodo News

 Shigeru Ishiba, who won the LDP presidential election with a stunning upset over Sanae Takaichi, is scheduled to become prime minister at the extraordinary Diet session on October 1, but there are many "challenges" ahead for his administration. ......

The political realignment involving the opposition parties&#8230;&#8221; &#8220;A major reversal&#8221; for Sanae Takaichi: Shigeru Ishiba, the new LDP president, &#8220;Dangerous management of the government&#8221;.

The political realignment involving the opposition parties…” “A major reversal” for Sanae Takaichi: Shigeru Ishiba, the new LDP president, “Dangerous management of the government”.

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